SHELL BEACH DR
Carrying SHELL BEACH DR over DRAINAGE CANAL
0.3 MI S of LA 385, Calcasieu, Louisiana
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SHELL BEACH DR in Calcasieu, Louisiana sits above 10% of rated Louisiana bridges on inventory load rating (17 t), while its 1937 build year is earlier than 98% of Calcasieu's recorded-year cohort (463 bridges).
SHELL BEACH DR in Calcasieu, Louisiana is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1937, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 4. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Poor result describes the weakest reported component rather than the structure as a whole. No NBI category is a closure decision or a live crossing-safety verdict.
NBI record plate
Structure LA:071030132931341
PRE-1950 · CONCRETE · LONG-SPAN-RUN · SUB-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- CONCRETE Concrete
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 4 spans
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light load
- CAT-POOR Poor
Inspection-sheet codes from this record’s year, material family, spans, controlling component, ADT, inventory load, and NBI category, not a live closure verdict.
Bridge Snapshot: SHELL BEACH DR
The SHELL BEACH DR bridge in Calcasieu, Louisiana carries SHELL BEACH DR over DRAINAGE CANAL. It was built in 1937, making it 89 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 4 sections, stretching 36.6 meters (120 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 8,548 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Louisiana bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 4/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
How SHELL BEACH DR compares
Age against the county: built in 1937, earlier than 454 of Calcasieu's 463 bridges with a recorded construction year (98%), against a county median build year of 1979. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Louisiana bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (12,682 of 12,698 rated).
SHELL BEACH DR vs every rated Louisiana bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
17 Top 90% higher than 10% of 12,682 bridges
rated Louisiana bridges, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more bridges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory · August 2026
Condition Ratings
Full 0–9 scale + sufficiency-rating breakdown: how condition ratings work.
Reported 0–9 component ratings from the FHWA NBI. The highlighted component is the lowest reported input to this record’s current condition category; it is not a closure or live crossing-safety decision.
Calcasieu inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 463 bridges in this county. Orthogonal to this structure's component profile above: a county catalog share, not a live crossing-safety verdict.
Structural Details
- Year Built
- 1937
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 4
- Structure Length
- 36.6 m (120 ft)
- Deck Width
- 11.6 m (38 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 8,548 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 071030132931341
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
SHELL BEACH DR is in the federal Poor condition category. That is a component-based result, not a closure order.
- NBI condition ratings reflect the latest record in this annual dataset, not a live status. Current routine inspection intervals are risk-based.
- Understand what Poor condition does and does not mean before drawing conclusions. Poor condition explained
- Compare SHELL BEACH DR against other structures in Calcasieu and across Louisiana. Louisiana bridges
- Noticed visible damage or a safety concern? Report it to the agency that owns the bridge, or call 911 in an emergency. How to report a bridge
Condition codes come straight from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory and are not a real-time safety judgment. Only the owning agency, a state DOT, county, or other owner, can post, restrict, or close a bridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the condition ratings mean for SHELL BEACH DR?
SHELL BEACH DR in Calcasieu, Louisiana has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SHELL BEACH DR inspected?
SHELL BEACH DR's responsible agency sets its routine interval under FHWA's risk-based inspection rules; this page does not expose the scheduled interval. It carries about 8,548 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SHELL BEACH DR is currently shown as Poor condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for SHELL BEACH DR?
SHELL BEACH DR has an NBI inventory load rating of 17.2 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SHELL BEACH DR?
SHELL BEACH DR is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is SHELL BEACH DR and does age affect safety?
SHELL BEACH DR was built in 1937, making it 89 years old.
Disclaimer: Bridge condition data is from the FHWA NBI and reflects the last reported inspection. A Poor condition rating is not a live declaration that a bridge is closed or unsafe for travel. For current closure, posting, or safety information, contact the responsible transportation agency.
Share this inspection record
Send this source-bounded record or download its data card. An NBI condition category is not a closure or live crossing-safety verdict.
Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Component ratings, ADT, and condition category on this page are copied from the NBI record for this structure; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024 NBI release. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.